AG Todd Rokita issues civil subpoena to Exodus Refugee in latest immigration-related inquiry

A social media post by Indiana Attorney General Tood Rokita that falsely repeated claims the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump was flagged because of “a risk of violence.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has expanded his inquiry into the potential labor trafficking of undocumented immigrants by demanding information from Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc. about “possible interference with federal immigration activities” in Monroe County.

The organization, a nonprofit with offices in Indianapolis and Bloomington, is at least the ninth group or business to receive a civil investigative demand, essentially a civil subpoena, as part of a broader inquiry that began in November.

Cole Varga, Exodus Refugee’s CEO, said in an emailed statement that there is “absolutely no justification” for Rokita’s demand.

“In our long and respected history as a nonprofit organization here in the Hoosier state, we stand by our important work serving refugees, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, and other humanitarian immigrants,” Varga said. “And, in stark contrast to the Attorney General’s statements, Exodus is in fact one of the few organizations in the state of Indiana that assists victims of human trafficking. To be clear: refugees and immigrants are a part of our Hoosier communities – whether Todd Rokita wants them here or not.”

In a news release, Rokita alleged that officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed the Attorney General’s Office that a recent ICE operation in Monroe County faced numerous challenges as a result of what may have been a coordinated effort by entities in Bloomington to help undocumented immgrants evade apprehension.

Rokita noted that an investigative demand is not an accusation of wrongdoing but a fact-finding inquiry.

It also is not a tool frequently used in immigration inquiries. But it is one that Rokita says he is using pursuant to his authority under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and the nonprofit statute due to concerns about undocumented immigrants being trafficked into the state.

“The mass movement of illegal aliens and others into Indiana has exposed our communities to significant public safety risks, including increased concerns about labor trafficking, as many of them are brought to the state to provide low-cost labor,” Rokita said. “Worse, some organizations in Indiana—whether they are local officials like the Monroe County sheriff who operate sanctuary policies or private organizations that appear to encourage or assist illegal immigration—are making the problem worse.”

At least eight other organizations, from Logansport to Evansville, have received similar demands from Rokita’s office.

The Haitian Center of Evansville and Amcor have challenged the attorney general’s CIDs in court, and it’s unclear whether other entities are complying with the state’s requests for information regarding their interactions with immigrants.